N00354:97
Military duties, recommended to an artillery company
Military duties, recommended to an artillery company; at their election of officers, in Charles-town [sic], 13.d. 7.m. 1686. / By Cotton Mather, Pastor of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines of quotations in Latin]Military duties, recommended to an artillery company; at their election of officers, in Charls-town [sic], 13.d. 7.m. 1686. / By Cotton Mather, Pastor of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines of quotations in Latin]
printed by Richard Pierce, 1687
MILITARY DUTIES Laid before A TRAINED BAND 13. d. 7. m. 1686. › Application 5 › REMEMBER Next
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
REMEMBER Next
The Engagements which lie upon you to Encounter these Enemies, are many & very mighty Obligations.
The Engagements which ly upon you to Encounter these Enemies, are many & very mighty Obligations.
There are Obligations hereunto laid upon you by the Vows of God, which you are under. The military Oath was called a Sacrament of old. Verily you have taken Sacraments upon it, and Oaths of Fidelity unto the Lord Jesus Christ that you will never have any Peace, or so much as any Truce with these Enemies which would not have Him to reign over you. Were you not Baptized into the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then, in that day were you listed under the Banner o• that Potentate; You were bound unto a never ceasing Emnity and Watchfulness against the ⟨p. 48⟩tempters which would with-draw you from your Allegiance unto Him. But, Ah Lord how rarely are any among us duly mindful of our Baptismal Vow! Souls, if ever after this you submit to the Wills of those Abominable things which would build a Partition-wall between God and you, You do then profanely play the Traitor towards the great LORD whose Mark you have received in your Foreheads. Be assured, the Waters of Baptism will one day become like the Water of Jealousy, or more direful than a River of burning Brimstone unto the Renegadoes that shall thus procure to themselves a Lott among the Fearful & the Unbelievers. Have not many of you also sat-down at the Table of the Lord? Verily, when the Lord so erected a Bnner of Loe over you in His Banqueting-hose, there were fesh Tes, rendering all Reconciliation or Accommodation between you and these Akits the most Dishonest thing imaginable. The Lord Jesus Christ hath there said in plain Visible Words unto you, — Behold, I was thus murdered by those very enemies that are lying in wait for thy precious Life; O never do thou admit any Friendship with them. Then with a pretence of as much Affection as the Citizens of Rome discovered when the Show